The Husband Hunt (4 page)

Sighing, he moved to his desk and settled in the chair to await the arrival of his guests, his mind puzzling over what Lisa Madison’s maid could be doing there. He supposed she had some message from Lisa and Christiana, though the presence of the man holding her so tightly was rather puzzling.

“Oh, my lord!”

Robert glanced up in time to see Bet try to rush across the room, only to be drawn up short and dragged back to the side of the man holding her arm. The wince that immediately covered her face told him that the fellow’s grip was as clawlike as it looked. Scowling at the rough treatment, Robert stood up. “Unhand her.”

“Just as soon as I get the money I was promised,” the man growled, though he did appear to ease his hold somewhat.

“Money?” Robert frowned and then peered to Bet in enquiry.

“I’m sorry, my lord,” Bet babbled in a rush. “My lady sent me to fetch you to save her, but I had no idea where I was and no money for a hack. I promised him you would pay when we reached here.”

“Your lady sent you to fetch me to save her?” Robert echoed with amazement.

“Aye, she—we—” Bet paused, eyes sliding worriedly to the man holding her and then back to him unhappily.

Realizing she didn’t wish to speak in front of what was obviously a hack driver, Robert glanced to his butler. “See the man paid and show him out.”

“Aye, my lord,” Mosby said calmly and then arched an eyebrow in the driver’s direction. After the briefest hesitation, the man released his hold on Bet, nodded at Robert, and then turned to allow the butler to lead him from the room.

Noting that the butler had left the door open, no doubt so he could hear what would follow, Robert moved around his desk and quickly crossed the room to close the door.

Turning back then, he peered at Bet. “Now, why did your lady send you to me?”

“I told you. To save her. We must hurry, my lord. She’s in dire straits,” Bet said anxiously.

Robert frowned. “To save her from what, exactly, Bet?”

“Oh,” she moaned with something like despair. “It’s awful, my lord. The tea was drugged and we was locked up and I escaped out the window, but Miss Lisa had to remain behind because the bed wasn’t heavy enough and we must get to her and get her out of there!” Bet cried.

Robert blinked at the rush of words, not really understanding. Lisa had had to remain behind because the bed wasn’t heavy enough? Heavy enough for what? It didn’t make any sense, but was sounding a good deal like one of those melodramas Lisa so enjoyed reading, and he was beginning to suspect that’s all it was. It seemed Lisa hadn’t completely given up on him after all, but in some last ditch effort to gain his attention, had come up with this wild tale to—

“Please!” Bet moaned, rushing forward to clutch at his arm and urge him toward the door. “I’ll never forgive meself if Miss Lisa is ravished and ruined because I went out the window first. I should have made her go first. I should have—”

“Ravished and ruined?” Robert interrupted with amusement. Good Lord, she’d gone all out this time. Lisa was usually the sweetest, most biddable of females, dreamy eyed and seeming only to half live in the real world while the other half of her mind was stuck off in the wild machinations of the latest story she was reading. But every once in a while she got swept up in her stories and—

“Why are you smiling?” Bet asked with horror. “This is not amusing, my lord. She will be ruined if that suitor fellow has his way with her. She—”

“Suitor fellow?” Robert asked with interest.

“That’s what Mrs. Morgan called him. Her suitor,” Bet explained unhappily. “She—”

“Mrs. Morgan?” Robert barked, his amusement dying abruptly and concern beginning to take its place. “What the devil has Mrs. Morgan to do with this?”

“We was there for tea, and—”

“At Mrs. Morgan’s!” he bellowed and Bet flinched as if he’d struck her. She also looked suddenly terrified. Forcing himself to calm down, Robert asked more gently, “What on earth would make Lisa go to tea at Mrs. Morgan’s? How does she even know a woman like that?”

“Mrs. Morgan’s carriage broke down just outside Madison more than two years ago and Lord Madison invited Mrs. Morgan in to tea while the stable master took a look to see if a new wheel could be put on or the undercarriage was damaged. Miss Lisa and Suzette kept her company while she waited. It turned out there was much to repair and Mrs. Morgan took a room at the inn while waiting for it to be ready for the road again. She was in the village for near a week and Miss Lisa visited her nearly every day. They became friends and Mrs. Morgan gave her a couple of books and they’ve been writing ever since.”

“Dear God,” Robert breathed with dismay. “Doesn’t she know what kind of woman—” Pausing, he shook his head. Of course she didn’t know. How could she? Lisa spent very little time in the city. The girl was as naïve as a babe. “Does Richard know Lisa planned to tea with Mrs. Morgan?”

“Nay,” she said on a sigh. “ ’Twas a secret. In fact, even I wasn’t to know. Miss Lisa tried to sneak out on her own, but I knew she was up to something and caught her and so she let me come with her, but the carriage dropped us at the back of the house. The kitchens, if you can imagine,” she added with outrage. “I knew that wasn’t right, but Miss Lisa insisted on going in for tea and we did, but the tea was drugged and Mrs. Morgan was asking the oddest questions. Was I a virgin, and—” She paused, her face now flushing so that the freckles were nearly invisible as she whispered, “And that the doctor would examine me to see.”

She shuddered at the thought, but continued, “The last thing I remember before the drugged tea overtook me is her saying as how we would be taken to a room to rest until the doctor and Miss Lisa’s suitor came.” Her mouth firmed. “And sure enough, we woke up locked in this room on the second floor. But we made a rope from the bed linens like in that book about that Lord Haroway what ravished Lady Laticia, and Miss Lisa said as I should go first, so I climbed out the window, but the bed couldn’t take the weight and started to move and Miss Lisa had to help hold the rope which she couldn’t do for herself and she said I should come find you to go get her.”

Robert stared blankly as her long, rushed explanation soaked through his mind and then he gave his head a shake, and stepped around her to head for the door. “Wait here. I shall fetch her back.”

“Oh but—”

“Wait here,” he repeated firmly.

“But ye don’t know which window to go to,” she protested in a wail.

Robert paused, a frown curving his lips as he turned back. “Which window?”

“I should come with ye. I—”

“You’re not coming with me, Bet. I’ve enough to worry about without worrying over you. Now which window?”

“T
here,” Mrs. Morgan said and took a step back to look her over with satisfaction.

Nodding, she pronounced, “You look perfect. He should be very pleased.”

“Who?” Lisa asked and frowned at the garbled sound to the word. Mrs. Morgan had been pushing some sort of beverage on her the entire time while seeing her bathed, powdered and dressed in . . . well, what was really the most comfortable gown. It felt feather light and airy, allowing the smallest draft to make its way through and caress her skin. It was as close to wearing nothing at all as she’d ever experienced and left her feeling rather . . . well . . . odd, really.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Mrs. Morgan said with a laugh and led her to the bed. “I’m surprised he feels he needs this to get your attention. Most girls would throw themselves at him. Although, my girls say he can be a bit rough, but you may come to enjoy it. A little rough can sometimes be a pleasure.”

Lisa grunted for answer. She wasn’t really sure what the woman was talking about. Attractive sounded nice to her fuzzy mind, but the being a bit rough part . . . well, she suspected she should be a bit alarmed, but her mind didn’t appear capable of it at the moment. Instead, she was struggling with a rather odd desire to giggle.

What the devil had been in those drinks they’d been pushing on her?

“Now you sit here. He should be here soon to see you and then your new life will start.”

“Why are you doing this? I thought you were my friend,” Lisa said plaintively, or hoped she did. It didn’t sound quite right coming out of her mouth. It felt like she was talking around a mouthful of marbles. But Mrs. Morgan seemed to understand her words.

“Now, now,” the woman said on a little sigh and patted her hand as she settled on the bed beside her. “I know it may seem awful of me to hand you over to him like this. But he plans to marry you, my dear. So no harm done. And he’s paying me a very large sum of money to help him woo you like this.” She paused and then grimaced and added, “Of course, Bet is something else. But really, do you think she wants to be a lady’s maid the rest of her life? She’s a beautiful girl despite those unfortunate freckles of hers. She’ll wear the finest silks and drink the finest wine and enjoy many fine men rather than putting up with the callous rutting of stable boys and the like. Really, I’m doing you both a good turn here today . . . and making a great deal of money as well. If the girl’s a virgin, I’ll get top dollar for her.” She stood and moved toward the door, adding, “I really must send word to find out what’s holding up the doctor. I’ve already sent out a notice to every possibly interested party that a fresh girl is to be auctioned off tonight. I need his certification that Bet’s pure before then.”

Lisa watched her go, and remained where she was as Cook and the big man named Gilly carried the tub out, then waited for the door to close before standing up. She was a little alarmed when the room spun wildly around her and for a moment she had to brace herself with a hand on the bed and take deep breaths to keep her stomach from rebelling as she waited for the spinning to stop. When it finally did, Lisa straightened more cautiously and peered dully around.

Her mind was screaming at her to do something. The problem was that the message was as garbled in her head as her words had been when she’d spoken and Lisa couldn’t figure out what exactly it was her mind was trying to tell her she should be doing. She suspected it was important though.

Chapter Four

R
obert perched on the window ledge and peered cautiously inside, then frowned and peered more closely. The room at first appeared empty, but then he spotted the lump under the comforter. Lisa. How could she sleep at a time like this? Good Lord. Muttering under his breath, he lowered himself to sit on the outer ledge and then tapped softly on the window. The sound was very faint. He didn’t want to attract attention, but it was surely loud enough for Lisa to hear. The bed wasn’t that far away. However, she didn’t stir at all. He knocked again, a little louder, but when that still brought no result, he eased the window open, and climbed inside.

It was only as he reached the side of the bed that Robert realized the shape under the comforter wasn’t quite right. He pulled back the thick blanket and then straightened with a curse when he saw the ripped and knotted sheets beneath. Returning the comforter, he straightened and moved quickly to the door. It was only when he found the knob wouldn’t turn that he recalled Bet’s claim that they’d been locked in.

Robert turned on a hissed curse and returned to the window. He was back out on the ledge with the window closed in little more than a moment, but then paused, unsure what to do. He could hardly just leave. He needed to get into the building and look for Lisa.

He’d try another room, Robert decided, and then glanced first right and then left. The window on the left was the closer one. It was also the way he’d come, climbing up the trellis on the other side of it and moving across that ledge and then to this one. But the room had been occupied.

Not wanting to be spotted, Robert hadn’t stuck around long enough to see who occupied it on his way by, but had shifted past the window as quickly as he could, barely catching a glimpse of what had appeared to be a woman in the room.

Unfortunately, the next window over on his right was farther away and he didn’t think he’d reach it safely. He couldn’t get Lisa out of this trouble if he was lying broken on the ground, so it was the first window he’d have to try, Robert acknowledged. He’d just have to hope that room was empty now or that the woman inside was of a friendly nature and wouldn’t raise the alarm when he entered through the window . . . or that he could silence her before she did, he thought grimly. Money usually did the trick in such situations. He would have to check things out and decide from there, Robert supposed.

He sucked in a breath and clutched the edge of the window frame with one hand and stretched his other hand and one foot toward the next. It was a tricky business, and he barely reached, but barely was good enough. A moment later he was easing onto the first window ledge again with a little relieved sigh.

Robert took a moment to let his heartbeat slow down, then shifted on the ledge to peer into the room. A grimace covered his face when he saw that it wasn’t empty now as he’d hoped. The woman was still there, a petite, blond and very curvaceous prostitute who stood by the bed, all ready for her first client of the evening.

Damn, she was wearing something that . . . well, she might as well not be wearing anything at all, Robert thought wryly as his eyes slid over her curves through the diaphanous gown. Mrs. Morgan had always had the best girls in town. He ought to know. He’d visited often enough over the years. Beautiful, curvaceous and talented women were what Morgan’s was known for. He couldn’t believe that Lord Madison had let the woman into his home and even served her tea, for God’s sake. The fact that the man had let his unwed daughter spend any time with the woman was rather horrifying.

Of course, Lord Madison spent most of his time out in the country too, and probably hadn’t had a clue the sort of woman he’d let into his manor. Still . . . Robert had to wonder how he’d missed hearing of the Madisons’ acquaintance with this woman before now.

Although, he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. He hadn’t seen much of Lord Madison or Lisa since his father’s death. In fact, he’d only seen them the once, those few short weeks when Lisa had been in London around the time of Suzette and Daniel’s meeting and marrying. Truth be told, he’d been avoiding her to keep from encouraging the silly schoolroom crush he knew she had on him.

Robert cared for Lisa, just as he cared for Suzette and Christiana. But that was it and he had no desire to break her heart. It would make it uncomfortable to be around her sisters and their husbands and while he had always been close to Suzette and Christiana, he was even closer now. They and Daniel and Richard had become his closest friends these last two years.

His thoughts were distracted when the woman in the room turned slowly, her gaze moving to the window. Sure she couldn’t see him through the gauzy curtain, he eyed her with interest. The girl reminded him of Lisa. Well, Lisa as she would look if not properly attired in her frilly pastel gowns and with her hair up in those fancy styles women in the ton tended to wear, he thought, his admiring gaze running over the girl’s front now just as it had her back.

She was a ripe little peach, all generous curves and shapely legs. And her hair was a silken mass that framed her face and fell over her shoulders in a golden cascade. And what a face, he thought. It was heart-shaped with huge eyes and full, kissable lips.

Perhaps he should visit this little strumpet later in the evening after finding Lisa and getting her safely home. Well, if he managed to rescue her without getting caught or seen. Mrs. Morgan would hardly welcome his clientele if she found out—

Robert’s thoughts died, his eyes locking on the girl’s face as she suddenly gave her head a shake as if trying to clear her head and ran her hands through her hair, pushing it back and up from her face.

“Damn,” Robert breathed. Dear God, the alluringly dressed little strumpet was no strumpet at all. It was Lisa Madison!

For one moment, he simply stood gaping, his eyes again traveling over generous curves that her damned frilly gowns didn’t normally reveal. But then he recalled that he was perched on a ledge outside a window gaping at and—if he were honest with himself—lusting after a damned near nude Lisa Madison . . . who was like a little sister to him.

Cursing, Robert squatted slightly to reach and open the window, and then leaned in, whispering, “Lisa.”

The word was a bare hiss of sound, but enough to draw her head around. Her eyes widened when she saw him, and then rushed forward.

Robert couldn’t help noticing that her breasts jiggled temptingly with each step, and her generous hips swayed. Damn, who knew she hid such a tempting little body under those voluminous gowns she wore? Richard and Daniel were right, Lisa was definitely all grown up. When the devil had that happened?

The question was lost to the corners of his mind when she reached the window, threw herself at him with a happy cry, and damned near sent him tumbling backward off the ledge.

Catching at the window frame, Robert managed to save himself, not to mention her, since she would have gone out with him. He then released one hand from the frame to wrap his arm around her.

“Oh, Robert. Thank goodness. I knew you’d come,” she mumbled into his neck and he frowned at the slight slur to her words.

“Have you been drinking?” he asked, pulling back slightly to try to see her face.

“Uh-huh.” She nodded apologetically. “Mrs. Morgan made me drink this sort of spiced wine. I mean it tasted like wine but I know it had other stuff in it. She said it would relax me for what was to come. I think it was drugged like the tea. But not with a sleeping powder. With something else. It made me feel all soft and floaty.”

“Hmmm.” He frowned, his gaze dropping down over the gown she wore. It didn’t hide a damned thing, not the round globes of her breasts or the dusky pink of her nipples, which were presently erect, he noted and scowled. “What the hell are you wearing?”

“Mrs. Morgan made me wear it. She said my suitor would like me in this. Do you like me in this?” She glanced down at herself. “I like how it feels on my skin. It feels floaty.”

He couldn’t help noticing that the theme seemed to be floaty, and since she was swaying on her feet and not the least bit self-conscious about standing in front of him damned near naked, he suspected whatever Mrs. Morgan had given her was the culprit.

“Do you?”

Robert blinked and forced his gaze from her nipples to her face. “Do I what?”

“Do you like me in this?” Lisa asked with a frown. “Don’t you think it’s pretty?”

“I—” Robert found his gaze sliding down over her body again, drifting over and past her breasts, down across the soft swell of her belly to the curves of her hips and the nest of blond curls between them. Too right he thought it was pretty and liked her in it. Far too much, he thought grimly and gave his head a shake. Trying for reason, he said quietly, “Lisa, we have to get out of here.”

“Oh, yes. I don’t like it here, Robert. Mrs. Morgan made me strip and bathe in front of this man named Gilly, who was very big and scary and I didn’t like it at all, but she wouldn’t make him leave when I asked and said if I didn’t cooperate she’d let him strip and bathe me and I didn’t want him touching me and so I had to pretend that he just wasn’t there and get on with it, but it was terribly embarrassing and I didn’t like it.”

He’d kill the bastard, Robert thought grimly. Gilly was Mrs. Morgan’s muscle, a massive, moon-faced mute who kept the girls in line and handled troublesome clients. He’d kill the bastard for having looked on Lisa and made her so uncomfortable . . . right after he handled Mrs. Morgan. But not till after he had Lisa safely out of there.

“Okay,” he murmured, urging her back a bit. “I want you to climb onto my back.”

“Onto your back?” she asked uncertainly.

“Yes, you climb onto my back and I shall climb back down the wall.”

“How are you going to climb down the wall, Robert? You’re not a spider. Perhaps we should make a rope out of the sheets like Bet and I did and—”

“It’s all right. I climbed up, and I can climb down. Just get on my back, Lisa,” he said turning sideways on the ledge and urging her around to his side.

She muttered under her breath the whole time, but climbed onto the ledge behind him and then wrapped her arms around his shoulders as instructed.

“Wrap your legs around my waist,” he ordered.

Lisa mumbled by his ear, and her legs came around his waist, the feet hooking together against his belly. Robert stared at them blankly, noting that she was barefoot and had the most adorable little toes and a lovely high arch, and—

“Now what?”

Giving his head another shake, Robert was now the one to mutter under his breath. Then heaving a sigh, he said, “Just hold on tight.”

He waited to hear her say that she understood and then began to shift them both out of the window. It was a much trickier maneuver with her clinging to his back like a monkey, and Robert began to grit his teeth, his attention divided between what he was doing and her hold on him. He was concerned that she might lose her grip and fall, but couldn’t spare a hand to help her hold on.

“Tell me if your grip starts slipping,” he hissed, easing along the ledge toward the trellis.

“Yes, Robert,” she mumbled against his neck and he felt a shudder run through him as her breath brushed his ear. Damn, he’d never had this reaction to her before. But then she’d never looked quite so . . . well—

“Ow.”

Robert paused. He’d just stepped off the ledge and onto the trellis when she’d made the sound of pain. Twisting his head slightly he tried to glance around to see what was wrong. “What is it?”

“Nothing. My foot just hit something,” Lisa muttered, digging her heels tighter against him to try to avoid the wall and wood. She’d slid lower once he’d straightened on the ledge, and her feet were no longer against his waist, but now dug into his groin. Pain wasn’t the word for the sensation she was unintentionally causing. Robert managed not to groan out loud, and bent slightly to protect her feet, then began to descend the trellis with a little more speed than care. He was somewhat amazed when they made it to the ground without a misstep, and the moment his feet were planted solidly on the ground he urged her off his back.

Relief sped through him when her feet were no longer rubbing him so intimately, but he ignored it and turned to lift her into his arms. It was an attempt to hide some of her nakedness as well as to protect her poor bare feet . . . and had absolutely nothing to do with a desire to hold her in his arms, he assured himself as he strode toward the end of the alley and the carriage waiting there.

Robert moved as quickly as he could, eager to get her inside and away from prying eyes, not to mention any kind of confrontation with Mrs. Morgan or her goon. That would wait until he’d got Lisa safely away. He wouldn’t risk her being caught again should Gilly prove more of a problem than he expected, or if the man got in a lucky punch with one of those hammy fists of his.

“Oh, Robert, I knew you would save me,” Lisa sighed, nestling into his chest.

Robert grunted and tried to ignore the way her breasts were pressing into his chest.

“You’re so brave and clever. And strong and handsome too,” she added with a pleased little sigh. “You will make beautiful babies.”

Robert blinked, his mind filling with baby making: the act, not the result. Realizing the treacherous road his thoughts were taking, he gave his head a shake and picked up speed, rushing the last few steps to the carriage.

The driver saw him coming and was off his perch, opening the carriage door at once so that Robert was able to simply step inside with his burden. He dropped onto the bench seat as the driver quickly closed the door, but found himself reluctant to set Lisa down on the opposite bench. Staring at her dressed as she was just didn’t seem that smart an idea. That, of course, was the only reason he held her pressed tight to his chest, he told himself as the driver climbed back up on his seat, setting the carriage rocking.

“Are you taking me home?” Lisa asked as the carriage set off.

“Good God, no! I can’t take you home like this,” he gasped, his eyes skating over her revealed body in the see-through gown. Feeling himself begin to harden at just the sight, he forced his eyes away and muttered, “I am taking you to my townhouse. Bet is waiting there. I shall have to send her back to Richard and Christiana’s to fetch you something more appropriate to wear.”